Articles
Looking Ahead to Spring (Cont'd)
by Su Rickett
Other bulbs that look sublime planted in large drifts are blue Muscari and Anenome blanda. These are also great multipliers and make an excellent ground cover under spring flowering shrubs and come up year after year.
If you are fortunate enough to have a rockery, try tucking in some miniature narcissus. These delightful little treasures are a wonder to look up into when viewing from below. Varieties such as ‘Tete-a-Tete’, ‘Minnow’, ’Segovia’ (sweetly scented) and the lovely orange cupped ‘Jetfire’ are all excellent to pop into small spaces.
Another little gem to include in a rock garden are the miniature Iris danfordiae. These are exquisite - canary yellow with brown speckles. They appear to erupt out of the ground and even in the coldest weather bring some early golden warmth to the garden. Similarly, Iris reticulata,’ Harmony’ which are a stunning bright blue and ‘J. S. Dijt’ , a clear royal purple, are charming planted in nooks and crevices as well as in larger drifts under tall shrubs.
Including tulips in your spring garden is a fabulous way to introduce some riotous colours to your displays. Not only are there hundreds of colours and shapes to choose from, but with careful selection you can choose when to have them flower. Make note of their bloom time, it will be listed as early, mid or late Spring. If you want two different colours to be in flower at the same time, make sure you choose two from the same bloom period. Likewise, if you are trying to coordinate a show of pink tulips in front of a deeper pink rhododendron, choose bulbs that will coincide.
A little later on in Spring, Dutch Iris appear and these are perfect for sneaking in among summer blooming perennials and grasses. At about two feet tall, these also make a great cut flower. Lots of delicious colours available but do try the spectacular purple and bronze ‘Eye of the Tiger’,
Fall is also the time to plant summer blooming Alliums. None really have exciting foliage so it’s a good idea to place them in among summer perennials – hardy geraniums make an excellent frame for them. Alliums come in many different sizes with colours ranging from white, pink, purple and blue. Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ blooms in late May/early June and is best seen planted in large groups of 15 or more. Allium christophii blooms later and is shorter but has a much larger head that, if left to dry, makes for some interesting structure in the garden. The real star of the show for me is Allium schubertii – a veritable firework which can really inject some excitement amongst low grasses such as Mexican Feather Grass, Stipa tenuissima.
Most bulbs will come up year after year, multiply and offer weeks of seemingly effortless display.
Pots with Pizzaz
by Su Rickett
Container planting is addictive and it’s so much fun. Putting together a potted creation is easy to do and depending on which plants you choose can look good for one season or throughout the year.
Not that long ago, container planting was often restricted to geraniums, petunias and lobelia. Not any more. While these plants make perfect candidates for pots there is now so much more to choose from and even these old favourites come in new varieties and colours.
Choosing a container that has good drainage and that is a decent size is important. Small vessels are going to dry out quickly. While traditional terracotta blends with most décor and serves as a non-competitive background for plants, there are some fabulous colours and styles available in glazed ceramic, tin, wood and resin. If the pot is to be left outside all  year – it will need to be frost proof and able to take whatever the elements throw at itNow comes the fun part - choosing the plant material. Here the choices are practically limitless. Putting together a great looking container is all about drama. It starts with selecting plants that will give you long term pleasure and stay looking fresh with minimal upkeep.
First of all, you need to find a feature plant that will act as the jumping off point for all the other material. This can be something spiky and tall, such as a Phormium or Dracaena. It could be a fabulous grass like Purple Fountain grass, or one that is perennial like Miscanthus ‘Flamingo’. Other centrepieces include Cannas, Hardy Banana, Windmill Palms and medium sized shrubs such as hardy Hibiscus, Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ or for shade the luscious leaved Fatsia japonica
Depending on what you pick for your centrepiece, choose something for the middle ground that contrasts well with it. If using a bold foliage like a Canna lily, accent it with something frothy and light. Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ had fine foliage and offers a sharp shock of lime green. Small leaved coleus come in a myriad of colours and work well in sun or part shade. A mid-size grass can be very striking – Carex ‘Cappucino’ with hints of coppery brown, or flaxen coloured Stipa tenuissima, Mexican Feather Grass. Hardy fuchsias work well too, as do scented leaf geraniums. Perennials such as Heucheras and Euphorbias are also good candidates.
Finally, to soften the edges and fill in the gaps you’ll need something to meander through the pot and drape softly over it. Helichrysum ‘Limelight’, Golden Hakone Grass, Ipomoea ‘Margarite’ all offer chartreuse tones. Other plants might include annuals like Heliotrope, Diascia, Calibrachoa – Million Bells, Dragon Wing Begonias and Gazanias.
There really are no hard and fast rules here, except the one that applies to any kind of gardening – Right Plant, Right Place. Makes sure you choose plants that will be happy in the kind of light you have to offer them. If you have a lovely shady terrace or balcony, there are so many fabulous shade plants to choose from to lighten it up. Don’t be beguiled by the colours of geraniums because you want colour, think instead of shade lovers like begonias and fuchsias and give the whole thing a lift with a punch of vibrant coloured foliage.
If you have a hot and dry area try filling up a large shallow pot with a tapestry of sedums and succulents, there are hundreds to choose from and once planted sprinkle a little coloured gravel or even tiny sea shells between the plants and you have a lovely vignette that will require virtually no care all year.
If you only have room for one container, use as big a pot as possible and make the planting dramatic. If you have a large area available for pots, position them in groups and stage them on different levels for added impact.
Whether you are on the 20th floor of a highrise, have a tiny patio garden or large terrace, container gardens add flair and interest and best of all, there’s no digging required.
 Preparing Perennial Garden for Winter
Courtesy of: www.perennials.com
HOW TO DIVIDE:
For beginning gardeners, the first time or two you divide perennials you are going to be nervous and unsure of what you're doing. This is normal! But once you see the results, you'll start to realize that most often plants will recover quickly and be all the better for the experience. Even seasoned gardens get carried away at times by dividing plants into pieces that are too small, and the results are sometimes mixed -- some pieces grow well, some die. We usually still end up with more plants than we started with, so consider it a success.
The basic steps of dividing are simple. Once your plant shows signs of growth in the spring (an inch or two of new shoots is fine), dig up the entire clump. Try to be generous and get as many thick roots as possible. I like to dig about 4 inches or so beyond where the shoots arise. A narrow and long spade (called a rabbiting spade) is a handy tool for this, especially in a closely planted border. Dig all the way around, then pry the clump out of the ground. Put down a tarp somewhere handy, and transport your clump there.
Pick up the clump and drop it a few times, to try and knock off any loose soil. Some gardeners will actually blast off the soil with a strong jet of water. Then, go and find a knife... I'm using an old kitchen bread knife these days for larger clumps, but a paring knife, steak knife or special garden knife will do just fine. Look closely at your clump, sort of parting the shoots in an attempt to find a natural point where the clump can be easily separated. If there is no such point, then just be brave and cut directly down the center with your knife, from top to bottom. Once it's split in two, then look at each half to see if there is a sensible spot to cut yet again, then split these each into two. Depending on how large the clump was, you can keep going if you like. Try and keep the sections generally of a  good size, say the diameter of your fist or larger. Each piece should have both green above-ground shoots as well as roots below.
Remember, unless you're starting a nursery you probably don't need 20 divisions of anything! The best and most vigorous pieces are usually those found towards the outside of the original clump. The roots are less woody and can recover more quickly, giving you strong and healthy new plants. Discard old and woody roots from the middle (add them to the compost pile).
Certain perennials when dug from the ground will almost fall apart into pieces. Others will need a lot more effort to split. A few kinds (like Miscanthus) may actually require an axe or hatchet to get out of the ground and then chop into smaller sections.
Once your dividing task is complete it's time to replant the pieces. Try to plant them at approximately the same depth they were growing. Water them in well at planting time, then maybe once a week for the first month unless spring rains are generous.
One last idea: if you have loads of extra divisions, consider potting up a few of them for donations to your local Horticultural Society spring plant sale. Be sure to label them at potting time. These also make terrific and inexpensive gifts when visiting other gardeners.
-- John Valleau, Corporate Horticulturist
 Biological Pest Control
Courtesy of www.nsrp.bc.ca
Choosing the Right Plant
One of the most important preventive steps in the pest management process is selecting appropriate plants for a particular location. Usually we choose plants for their beauty, but to minimize pest problems, consider other plant characteristics and the site where it will grow. It is easier to plant a compatible species for your site than to try to alter the growing conditions:
- Understand the soil conditions in your yard. Soil conditions must match the requirements of your plants. For example, some plants are well adapted to salty or compacted soil or soil with poor drainage.
- Know the sun and shade characteristics of your garden. Consider times of day and different seasons.
- Know that watering requirements differ depending upon the soil and plant type.
- Select pest- and disease-resistant plants.
- Plant a diversity of species. This ensures that a single pest problem will not devastate your entire landscape.
- To attract and keep beneficial insects, include "insectary" plants in your landscape.
Planting and Caring for Your Plants
Start your plants out right by choosing healthy specimens and planting them properly. Keep your plants healthy by correctly watering, pruning, and fertilizing.
- Before you buy a plant, ask to examine the roots. Do not buy plants with roots that are kinked or circling the container. Also check the "root crown", the region where the roots meet the stem or trunk. Don't buy the plant if that area is soft, rotten or deformed.
- Don't pile soil around the plant any higher than the root crown. Don't plant in a depression that will allow water to wash soil down around the stem or trunk and cover the root crown. A continually moist root crown can cause rot.
- Since a young plant doesn't have an extensive root system, it can dry out quickly. Water thoroughly and keep the soil moist, but don't drown the plant.
- Cover bare soil with mulch. Mulch conserves soil moisture so plants don't dry out as quickly. A 4" layer of mulch will prevent most annual weeds from growing, and any weeds that do sprout can be pulled out more easily.
- Use a mulch of leaves, bark or composted manure and/or garden waste to provide organic matter to the soil and a slow, steady flow of nutrients to plants.
- Use slow-release fertilizers if soil testing indicates a need.
- Different plants require different kinds of pruning (if they need it at all). Learn how and when to prune your plants, and do so judiciously. Severe pruning can damage the plant and encourage pests and diseases.
Insectary Plants
The flowers on these plants have nectar and pollen that are accessible to beneficial insects:
- Aster
- Baby blue eyes (Nemophila)
- Calendula (Calendula)
- Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
- Coriander (Coriander sativum)
- Cosmos
- Dill (Anetum graveolens)
- Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Sunflower (Helianthus)
- Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
- Yarrow (Achillea)
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